The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC,
has strongly condemned decision by the Federal Government to pay N40 million to
former Presidents, describing it as “heartless, anti-people and
capitalist-driven.”

MURIC noted that the Nigerian
system makes the rich-richer and the poor-poorer, adding that it’s a mark of
indecency for the same government to deny thousands of retirees their benefits
but presents huge amount of money to former presidents.

The group wondered why the
federal government would pay a whopping N40 million to an ex-president, who
during his stay in office arrogated all the nation’s resources to himself, but
finds it difficult to pay a paltry N18,000 minimum wage to civil servants.

Recall that the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, had on Thursday, 11th
January, 2018 revealed that the government paid N40 million to a former
president.

MURIC, in a statement by its
Director, Ishaq Akintola, said, “How decent are we as a people if thousands of
retirees are denied their benefits for years but we proudly present huge
amounts of money to former presidents and ex-heads of state?

“Where is our humanity if a
whopping N40 million is paid to an ex-president who arrogated all the honey and
milk in the land to himself while in office but we still pay a paltry N18,000
as minimum wage to workers who grease the machines of our economy?

“This socio-economic imbalance
emboldens criminals, frustrates the youth and diminishes patriotism. Worse
still, it slows down the war against corruption because the Federal Government
(FG) alone cannot fight corruption. It needs the people to join the fight. But
how will an overworked, underpaid, impoverished and oppressed people who are
living witnesses to the waste of our common wealth willingly join the fight?

“The truth is that perhaps no
present ex-president or former head of state lives in penury as at today. We
can only think of just one probability and we will prefer to keep his identity
private for obvious reasons. Our ex-presidents are not in dire need of cars
from FG. Majority of them are in palatial mansions on hilltops in choice
locations all over the country.

“This social order is
unacceptable to MURIC. Super-rich ex-presidents should be giving to the poor
masses, not sucking from our blood again. It adds salt to injury. Islam
encourages equitable distribution of wealth. In particular, Qur’an 59:7
condemns the concentration of resources in the hands of a few wealthy
individuals. What FG has done is unIslamic.

“It is haram to take from the
poor or to deny them payment for services rendered only to give more to rich
ex-presidents for doing nothing. It is haram to ignore the cries of pensioners
while buying new cars for leaders.

“As we round up, we warn
President Muhammadu Buhari not to abandon poor Nigerians or to succumb to
blackmail from greedy and selfish citizens but to remain focused in his
determination to rid Nigeria of wasteful spending. Allah will ask every leader
how he conducted the affairs of his people yaom al-Qiyamah (the Day of
Resurrection).”